Powdered dye material for concrete surfaces

ABSTRACT

The invention herein provides for an improved dye material composed of a dry particulate mixture of azo and phthalocyanine dyes for concrete surface applications.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and is a continuation-in-part ofU.S. application Ser. No. 60/775,514, filed Feb. 22, 2006.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to dye material used for treating existingsurfaces, such as cured concrete. In particular, the invention pertainsto powder dye material used for treating a variety of surfaces includingconcrete. Known art may be found in U.S. Class 428, subclass 511 andothers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hazardous base dye compositions have been employed in the constructionfield to apply single colors and textures during the formation ofsurfaces. Similar technology has also been used to apply chemicalformulas to create a desired finish upon a cured concrete surface. Inthe past, these dye materials have been limited to a single color basethat included hazardous materials which complicate the shipping of thesematerials. Thus, shipping of multiple colors or combining colorsrequired multiple hazardous material shipments. Furthermore, thiscreated problems in adapting to varying color surfaces becauseadjustment could not be easily made to the formulation being applied.Additionally, the past dye formulations had a limited shelf-life thatrequired concurrent ordering of the hazardous material dyes with the jobsuch that custom coloring could not be easily provided. Thus, there isan overwhelming need in the art to provide an easily-transportable dyematerial that is not considered a hazardous material that also has anextended shelf-life. Furthermore, there is a need for the ability toprovide materials that may be custom blended at the job site without thewaste associated with prior art methods.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,348 to Juzu et al. shows a method for coloringinorganic substrates such as glass beads, glass fibers, mineral wool,rock wool, mineral fiber boards and cloths, concrete molded materials,inorganic pigments and metallic powders, which comprises treating theinorganic substrate with (1) a cationic component comprising (a) a watersoluble cationic resin or an aqueous solution of a water solublecationic resin, (b) an aqueous solution of a water soluble cationicresin and a water soluble cationic dye, or (c) an aqueous dispersion ofa water soluble cationic resin, a cationic dispersing agent plus a waterinsoluble dye or pigment and, optionally, a cationic water soluble dye;and With (2) an anionic component comprising (d) an aqueous solution ofa water soluble anionic dye, (e) an anionic dispersing agent or anaqueous solution of an anionic dispersing agent, (f) an aqueous solutionof an anionic dispersing agent and a water soluble anionic dye, or (g)an aqueous dispersion of an anionic dispersing agent plus a waterinsoluble dye or pigment and, optionally, an anionic water soluble dyewith the order of treatment with the cationic component (1) and theanionic component (2) being optional and with at least one of thecationic component (1) or the anionic component (2) containing a dye,either water soluble or water insoluble, or pigment as a colorant.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,722 to Sakamoto et al. shows a concrete coloringmaterial and a process for coloring concrete by means of such a concretecoloring material capable of permitting concrete to exhibit naturalcolor or aesthetic properties while preventing concrete from beingsubstantially discolored. Polyethylene oxide is used as a water-solubleadhesive or glue. The oxide is mixed with a composition such as dye,pigment, a mixture thereof or the like, to thereby permit thecomposition to penetrate into the concrete.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,214 to Sakamoto et al. shows a concrete coloringmaterial and a process for coloring concrete by means of such a concretecoloring material capable of permitting concrete to exhibit naturalcolor or aesthetic properties while preventing concrete from beingsubstantially discolored. Polyethylene oxide is used as a water-solubleadhesive or glue. The oxide is mixed with a composition such as dye,pigment, a mixture thereof or the like, to thereby permit thecomposition to penetrate into the concrete.

The prior art fails to teach a dye material shipped in its powder form.Additionally, the prior art fails to teach a dye material with anextended shelf-life. Thus, there is a need in the art to provide a dyeapplication that is easily transported, non-hazardous, with an extendedshelf-life.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides for an improved dye material used to treatexisting surfaces, namely, cured concrete. In particular, the powder dyematerial is transportable in a non-hazardous dry powder form which maybe stored for an extended period and then custom mixed with an aqueousmaterial for application to existing concrete surfaces. The improved dyematerial eliminates the voluminous, cumbersome, weighty packagingmaterials used with previous dye materials for concrete surfaces.

Further, the powder form dye material is an ideal for transportation andstorage as it is non-hazardous and has an extended shelf-life. Packagingof the improved powder dye material is considerably more compact andlighter, allowing for more efficient shipping and storage of the dyematerial. This allows for multiple colors of dye to be easilytransported for custom blending at the jobsite with the materials easilystored on the transportation vehicle with just a single transportationof a base liquid material that may or may not be hazardous.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved dyematerial for treatment of existing surfaces.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dye materialthat is easily transported.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dye materialwhich is compact and light.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide anon-hazardous dye material.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a methodfor providing on site custom blending without the multiple volumes ofhazardous material required by the prior art.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention, alongwith features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear or becomeapparent by reviewing the following detailed description of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following drawings, which form a part of the specification andwhich are to be construed in conjunction therewith, and in which likereference numerals have been employed throughout wherever possible toindicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method of using the improved dyematerial;

FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a step of the method of using the improveddye material;

FIG. 3 is a drawing showing a step thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses a perceived need in the art for animproved dye material. In particular, the present invention disclosesthe use of a non-hazardous powder dye material for on site mixing with abase material for treatment of concrete surfaces.

FIG. 2 shows the main advantage of the present invention by showing theon site mixing of a dry powder dye material 100 with a chemical solution500. The powder dye material in accordance with the present invention isgenerally indicated by reference numeral 100 in FIG. 2. The powder dyematerial 100 generally is added to an aqueous material 500 prior toapplication upon concrete surfaces. The aqueous material 500 may beinclude a variety of solvents, such as acetone or water.

Powder dye material 100, as shown in FIG. 2, is composed of a dryparticulate 101 mixture of azo and phthalocyanine dyes. It is expectedthat the ratio of azo and phthalocyanine dyes in the dry particles 101of the dye material 100 can be altered to create differing colors. Forexample, in a preferred embodiment, a deep green dye can be achieved bymixing yellow azo dye, red azo dye, and blue phthalocyanine dye.Specifically, for a five pound mixture 101 of deep green dye material100 can be achieved by combining 945 grams of yellow azo dye, 378 gramsof red azo dye, and 945 grams of blue phthalocyanine dye.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art decorative concretefinishes may include many various colors requiring many differing dyematerials. Also known is that concrete pads may have varying colorsacross their surfaces requiring the use of multiple color combinationsto achieve a uniform dye effect. As shown in FIG. 3, the presentinvention provides for this capability while limiting the amount ofaqueous material by providing a multitude of dye material 100 in avariety of colors that may be stored and shipped with a small volume ofaqueous material 500. Alternatively, two shipments may be utilizedwherein one is for the non-hazardous dye material and a second shipmentis used for the aqueous material 500. This allows for multiple colorswith just a single purchase and shipment of one amount of aqueousmaterial 500.

As shown in FIG. 2, the present invention allows for a user to purchaseand use smaller lightweight amounts of dry dye material 100 for mixingwith one base aqueous material 500. This advantage allows users to savestorage space and money while promoting efficiency in the industry. Dyematerial 100 is non-hazardous, allowing for a less costly method ofshipment and storage than aqueous dye materials or alternatively,allowing for faster shipment, such as air shipment, tunnel shipments, orthe like, of materials to provide better customer service. Further, dyematerial 100 does not contain the aqueous elements or hazardouschemicals used in the previous dye application until a few hours priorto surface application, so the powder dye material 100 is safer thanhazardous dye materials which lowers the risk to all of society in thetransportation of these materials.

The color of the dye material 100 may be easily modified by a user bycombining various colors of dye material 100 to create custom colors.The improved dry dye material 100 allows for increased mixture of dyecolors to create additional dye colors for applications. The presentinvention enables easier color customization by presenting a dyematerial 100 which is non-hazardous and easy to mix. Thus, users do nothave to be concerned with chemical burns or other hazards while mixingthe dye material 100.

As shown in FIG. 3, the dye material 100 is generally packaged influid-resistant bottles 150, drums or other similar containers in avariety of sizes. As shown by the transportation truck in FIG. 3, thepackaged dye material 100 can be easily stored for extended periods oftime as the dye material 100 has an unlimited shelf life. A perceivedbenefit of the powder dye material 100 is an improved efficiency in theindustry through the extended life of the dye material 100. Past aqueousdye materials have a definite shelf-life allowing for waste in theindustry.

Also shown in FIG. 3 is the effect of how the compact packaging of thepowder dye material 100 allows for lighter, more efficient storage andshipping arrangements. Past dye materials have been cumbersome andweighty, as these materials include a hazardous aqueous solution. Thepresent invention provides the powder dye material 100 for storage andshipping without the heavy aqueous element.

As shown in FIG. 1, prior to modification of a surface, dye material 100must be provided 1200 and transported 1250 to the work site. Asdiscussed, dye material 100 may be transported 1250 easily to a worksite since it is non-hazardous and compact. Additionally, multiple dyecolors may be easily transported 1250 to the work site to allow for theuse of multiple dye colors on the application surface or to allow formixing of colors. As an example, a yellow dye and a blue dye may bemixed to form a green dye. It is envisioned that a series of base colorsmay be used to form any desired color similar to the mixing of food dyescommonly found in recipes or paint colors commonly found in hardwarestores.

Prior to application to a surface, dye material 100 is mixed 1500 withaqueous material 500 in equal parts to create a dye composition 1000.Upon mixing 1500 with the aqueous material, the hue and color of the dyematerial 100 may be modified by adding differing colored dyes and moreaqueous material. The user may modify the intensity of the hue of thedye composition by mixing more aqueous material 500 than dye material100. The mixture of aqueous material 500 with the dye material 100 canbe in small or large quantities based upon the anticipated use of thedye composition 1000. Specifically, the user can chose the amount of dyematerial 100 to mix 1500 based upon the desired amount of dyecomposition 1000. In another embodiment, a user may select to mix 1500 amultitude of sizes including one quart, one gallon, and five gallonincrements for mixture with approximately 8-16 grams, 42-50 grams, and226-234 grams by weight respectively.

The color of the dye material 100 can be tested by mixing a smallamount, such as one gram of dye material 100 can be mixed 1500 with onemilliliter of aqueous material 500 to create a small amount of dyecomposition 1000. This small amount of dye composition 1000 can thenlater be applied 1530 to a concrete surface to create a sample surfacefor inspection. It is envisioned that a sample amount of dye composition1000 may be packaged separate from the dye material 100 in a pre-mixed,ready-to-apply application. Additionally, this sample amount may bepackaged in an aerosol sprayer for easy application. Further, anadvantage of the present invention is that small amounts of dye material100 can be mixed 1500 for application to a portion of the work surface.In this manner, users can treat 1530 a portion of the work surface atone time allowing for greater flexibility in working and providing foradaptations necessary for the particular jobsite. The mixed dyecomposition 1000 will be fairly consistent with each mixed batch as thecomposition is contemporaneously mixed 1500 with a consistent ratio ofdye material 100 and aqueous material 500.

As shown in FIG. 1, additional chemicals 505, such as a drying agentlike butyl salisol, can be added 1505 to the mixed dye composition 1000for some surface applications, such as for sealed concrete. Theseadditional chemicals 505 can be used to create a variety of effects,such as a mottled effect. In an embodiment having additional chemicals,the amount of aqueous material 500 added to the dye material 100 isdecreased by half and the additional chemicals are added in an amountequal to the amount of aqueous material 500.

As shown in FIG. 1, after mixing 1500 the dye material 100 to form thedye composition 1000, the dye composition 1000 should be agitated orshaken 1510 to encourage absorption of the dye material 100 by theaqueous material 500. The dye composition 1000 should be allowed todissolve for approximately three hours prior to application. The dyecomposition 1000 should be agitated again 1520 prior to use to ensureadequate distribution of dye material 100 throughout the composition.

Dye composition 1000 can be applied 1530 to a variety of concretesurfaces after mixing. As will be appreciated by one in the art,concrete surfaces present a variety of finishes. Dye material 100 issuitable for use in a variety of concrete surfaces. These finishesinclude smooth finishes, polished finishes, splattered finishes,rough-floated finishes, broomed finishes, grooved finishes, stampedfinishes, rubbed finishes, hammered aggregate finishes, exposed-stonefinishes, and coarse-aggregate finishes. A benefit of the presentinvention is that the dye material 100 absorbs easily into the varietyof possible surface finishes for concrete.

The invention has been described with reference to various specific andpreferred embodiments and techniques. It will be understood, however,that reasonable modifications of such embodiments and techniques can bemade while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention well adapted toobtain all the ends and objects herein set forth, together with otheradvantages which are inherent to the structure. It will also beunderstood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility andmay be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations.This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. Manypossible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing fromthe scope thereof. Therefore, it is to be understood that all matterherein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A process for providing a dye material consistingof a mixture of azo and phthalocyanine dyes suitable for making coloredand sealed concrete surfaces, said process consisting essentially of thefollowing steps: (a) packaging said mixture of azo and phthalocyaninedyes as a non-hazardous powdered solute in a fluid-resistant container;(b) transporting said powdered solute to a work site; (c) on-site addinga portion of said powdered solute to a carrier containing an amount ofat least one solvent including acetone; (d) mixing said portion of saidpowdered solute with said amount of at least one solvent to create a dyecomposition; (e) adding butyl cellosolve as a drying agent to said dyecomposition; and (f) applying said dye composition upon a concretesurface with an aerosol sprayer; whereby said process allows said dyematerial to be easily transported without hazardous elements prior tomixture with said at least one solvent and wherein said butyl cellosolvefrom step (e) is used for making colored sealed concrete.
 2. The processof claim 1 wherein step (c) further includes adding an equal portion ofsaid powdered solute to an amount of at least one solvent.
 3. Theprocess of claim 1 wherein at least one solvent includes water.
 4. Theprocess of claim 1 wherein at least one solvent includes an amount ofacetone and a amount of another solvent in equal parts.
 5. A process ofproviding a dye material consisting of a mixture of azo andphthalocyanine dyes for making colored and sealed concrete surfaces,said process consisting essentially of the following steps: (a)packaging said mixture of azo and phthalocyanine dyes dye material as anon-hazardous powdered solute in a fluid-resistant container; (b)transporting said powdered solute to a work site; (c) adding a portionof said powdered solute to a carrier containing an amount of at leastone chemical solvent including acetone; (d) mixing said portion of saidpowdered solute with said amount of at least one chemical solvent tocreate a dye composition; (e) agitating said dye composition toencourage absorption of said powdered solute with said at least onechemical solvent; (f) adding butyl cellosolve as a drying agent to saiddye composition; and (g) applying said dye composition upon a concretesurface with an aerosol sprayer; whereby said process allows said dyematerial to be easily transported without hazardous elements prior tomixture with said at least one chemical solvent and wherein said butylcellosolve from step (f) is used for making colored sealed concrete. 6.The process of claim 5 wherein step (c) further includes adding an equalportion of said powdered solute to an amount of at least one chemicalsolvent.
 7. The process of claim 5 wherein at least one chemical solventincludes an amount of acetone and an amount of another chemical solventin equal parts.
 8. A process of providing a dye material consisting of amixture of azo and phthalocyanine dyes for colored and sealed concretesurfaces, said process consisting essentially of the following steps:(a) packaging multiple dye colors of said dye material consisting of amixture of azo and phthalocyanine dyes separately as non-hazardousseparate powdered solutes in a fluid-resistant container; (b)transporting said separate powdered solutes to a work site; (c) adding aportion of one of said powdered solute to a carrier containing an amountof water and acetone; (d) mixing said portion of one of said powderedsolute with said amount of water and acetone to create a dye composition(e) combining a portion of at least one different said separate powdersolute to said dye composition to increase the amount of said powderedsolute to a total powdered solute amount to crease a new colorcombination of due composition; (f) agitating said dye composition toencourage absorption of said separate powdered solutes with said amountof water; (g) adding butyl cellosolve as a drying agent to said dyecomposition; and (h) applying said dye composition upon a concretesurface with an aerosol sprayer; whereby said process allows said dyematerial to be easily transported separate from any aqueous elementsprior to mixture with said amount of water and wherein said butylcellosolve from step (g) is used for making colored sealed concrete. 9.The process of claim 8 wherein step (c) further includes adding an equalportion of said powdered solute to said amount of water.
 10. The processof claim 8 wherein said amount of water is one quart.
 11. The process ofclaim 10 wherein said total powdered solute amount is approximately 8grams to 16 grams.
 12. The process of claim 8 wherein said amount ofwater is four quarts.
 13. The process of claim 12 wherein said totalpowdered solute amount is approximately 42 grams to 50 grams.
 14. Theprocess of claim 8 wherein said amount of water is five gallons.
 15. Theprocess of claim 14 wherein said total powdered solute amount isapproximately 226 grams to 234 grams.